In Latin, "locus amoenus" means "pleasant place." By Ovid's time, the locus amoenus had become a poetic convention: a description of an idyllic setting, often one in which a romantic encounter occurs. In the Metamorphoses, the locus amoenus is almost inevitably the site of a violent or destructive encounter; its pleasant atmosphere belies an impending threat. Here, the tranquil pool will be the scene of Narcissus's ironic "romantic tryst" with himself.

The locus amoenus can be found in medieval romances. One example is the pleasant orchard in Sir Orfeo in which the fairies set upon Heurodice.